Six Words

January 27th, 2012 | Posted by Krissy Peterson in Creativity | Engagement | Event Ideas | Leadership Training - (2 Comments)

As a self-described “creative person” I find inspiration in the most random things. My brain is able to take a component from one part of my life and link it to another (completely unrelated) area. For example, while in a leadership class in grad school, my mind began to wander and suddenly I had brainstormed leadership lessons that I had learned through musicals. This was then turned into a very fun, very energetic presentation at a women’s leadership conference. Welcome to my world—to me, anything can inspire my next staff development or lead me to brainstorm a campaign for RA recruitment.

This is one of the reasons that I respect this blog so much. It provides great food for thought for professionals and reminds me to reflect and make meaning of my experiences. I, like many others in this community, have brainstormed a one word resolution for 2012. I love that it’s an easy, yet thought-provoking exercise that challenges us to focus on what we want to do. As I pondered what my word would be, I also wondered if there was a way to take this reflective exercise further.

And then—because inspiration strikes at the most random of moments—it came to me through Oprah. Or rather, her magazine, O. In the February 2012 issue, readers submitted six word stories or memoirs to describe their lives. The six-word memoir creativity exercise is wonderful because even if someone doesn’t consider herself to be a writer, she can string together six words and come up with a powerful statement. The most famous of the six-word stories is Ernest Hemmingway’s haunting passage: “For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.”

The article got me thinking—if we could write six word memoirs that describe our lives, couldn’t we do the same thing with our work and/or life philosophies? Why should the six words be confined to something as expansive as one’s life? Why not pen a six word philosophy? Why not write six succinct words that can guide your work? If you could write six works, no more, no less, about your work philosophy what would they be? You could challenge yourself to write a six word story about your life as well—what would that look like?

Personally, I discovered that my life story and work philosophy could be one and the same with this simple sentence: “Finds the good and laughs loudly.” This, I think, sums me and my work up nicely, though I will admit that it took some reflection and a few drafts for me to feel satisfied with this succinct sentence. Coming up with your philosophy or memoir may not be the easiest reflective exercise, but it could lead to some good things. So, what will your six words be?

Krissy Peterson is a residence director at the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota.

Racist Halloween? Not for these students.

October 31st, 2011 | Posted by Viraj Patel in Campus Issues | Creativity | Diversity | Education Theory | Engagement | Event Ideas | Leadership Training | Marketing | Student Activities | Student Discipline | University - (5 Comments)

By now, you may have seen a link circulating across social media and email inboxes highlighting the ad campaign created by a group of students at Ohio University. The posters show students holding a picture of a Halloween costume, either worn commonly at parties or sold in party stores, depicting caricatures of their culture. You can see the full account with pictures of each of the posters here.


I post about it here on the Student Affairs Collaborative because every year, there is always one theme party that makes national headlines (not to count the thousands that don’t) as being derogatory, racist, offensive, and  whole list of other words that indicate unsafe environments for students with traditional marginalized identities. When I was an undergraduate student, my University community, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was torn apart over a Greek mixer titled “Tacos ‘N Tequila”- I’ll let your imagination do the work here, but suffice it to say that students were not dressed up as food or bottles of alcohol. The experience, which still elicits a physical reaction with me, cast a shadow over my college experience which, for all intents and purposes, was otherwise one of the happiest times of my life. I remember feeling frustrated, alienated, and hurt that people who lived in a place I love and called my home could make me, as a person of color, feel so unwelcome. Last year it was the Compton Cookout hosted by UC San Diego students, but there are plenty more out there that don’t make national headlines.

As student affairs practitioners, I feel that we are the ones responsible for addressing the issues that arise from such incidents. We are the ones that are held accountable for the parties occurring, though they are never officially University sanctioned. They are often a classic example of higher education, and especially student affairs, of being reactive versus proactive. Have you had any proactive conversations on campus about what to do if/when an oppressively-themed party hits your campus? What did you discuss?

As a student, I remember feeling frustrated that the administration didn’t automatically remove these students or ban the particular organizations from campus. Now, with a few more years under my belt, I understand their decisions as a necessary step to protect free speech rights at a public land-grant institution. But it still doesn’t feel good nor does it change the fact that, even though I was not a part of the group directly being stereotyped in the party, I still felt like an outsider in my campus community.

It is wonderful to see students at Ohio U. taking a proactive stand against a very public display of intolerance. I applaud the unsung heroes of the initiative, including the advisors who helped them with the program and funding for the project, the people writing articles about them in major news sources, and all the other supporters of the initiative. I think it is a wonderful example of student empowerment and activism and I hope to see the proactive educational initiatives continue.

How do you feel institutions should respond to theme parties? Can you give where an institution effectively responded to such a situation? What other ways can higher education, or we as individual practitioners, support proactive measures to counter negatively themed parties/costumes?

Viraj S. Patel is a Hall Director at Georgetown University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Constitution Day Conundrum

September 13th, 2011 | Posted by Stacy Oliver in Event Ideas - (6 Comments)

In the United States,  Constitution Day is rapidly approaching. Oh, you’ve never heard of Constitution Day? It’s not your favorite fall holiday? You’re not alone. Constitution Day celebrates the signing of the… wait for it… United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. Relevant to many colleges and universities, the legislation authorizing the creation of Constitution Day states,

“Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year should hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17, of such year for the students served by the educational institution.”

After seeing what my campus planned for Constitution Day (free nachos and copies of the Constitution being handed out between classes!),  I did a quick Google search to see what else is going on around the country. This New York Times generated list of programming ideas was the most comprehensive resource I found, though it lacks information about which institution is hosting the listed events. Reading other websites and program teasers, it felt as though the requirement isn’t taken seriously by many institutions, which made me wonder if students understand why these programs take place. And, so, I’m turning it over to our community to discuss –

 

What does your campus have planned for Constitution Day? How seriously does your campus take this programming requirement? How effective have your previous Constitution Day programming efforts been?

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QR Codes: Cutting Edge Campus Promo

April 1st, 2011 | Posted by Del Suggs in Creativity | Event Ideas | Marketing | Online Tools - (8 Comments)

You’re probably starting to see these Quick Response codes, even if you don’t know exactly what they are. While Tom wrote about these almost three years ago, they are really coming into the mainstream. In fact, I saw the first QR Code in my hometown newspaper this morning.

QR Codes are those little square boxes with black markings. It’s a modern version of the barcode. By scanning the code, you can be directed to a website, an email address, a phone number, or get any short message.

QR codes have been around for a long time, but they’ve become popular because of smartphones. If you have any Barcode App, you can easily scan a QR code for additional information.

Simply create a QR code for the Facebook page of your next campus event, and include it on any printed promotional material. People can scan the code, and be directed to the site for more (and portable) information.

Or how about some “guerrilla marketing?”. Post a flyer with JUST the QR code– nothing else. That will tempt a lot of students into scanning it just to find out what it’s all about.

It’s easy to create a QR code. There are many free sites that will create them for you online in a flash, like http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

If you like to see how they are being used in the music world, check out this article: http://bit.ly/eujni3

And if you want to see how it works, grab your smartphone, run your barcode app, and scan the QR Code below!

Care for Thyself. 50 Ways to Enjoy the Holidays!

December 20th, 2010 | Posted by Scott Helfrich in Event Ideas | Low Cost Programming | Uncategorized | Work/Life Balance - (9 Comments)

Today in the car while I was running errands, I heard a radio commercial from the Pennsylvania Department of Health regarding flu prevention. They are telling people with the flu to stay home from work in order to get better and, more importantly, not to spread the sickness to others at work. This naturally led me to think of this from a Student Affairs prospective specifically related to our own undying work ethic and the selfless defiance of “caring for thyself” in the service to others and the notion of always being at work. In many regards (particularly for ResLifers), we overwork ourselves, and it becomes a badge of courage to discuss spending countless hours with campus police or hospital staff, burning the midnight oil with staff on programming initiatives, and caring for the students that we serve. And as we all well know, a “day off” isn’t truly a day off.

That’s why this holiday season, I challenge you to put down the work and truly care for thyself. (As I told a stressed colleague this past week, “Work will be there tomorrow.”) Take the time to spend with friends and family or simply to rest and relax by yourself. Here are 50 suggestions for how you can care for thyself this holiday season:

  1. Dont check your work emails during your vacation. Turn on your away message, and stick to it!
  2. Do the same for work phone messages. Leave emergency forwarding information for other campus personnel that can assist.
  3. Disconnect from all social media (ie., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) for one or two days. Social media has an uncanny way of drawing you back into work.
  4. Go to the library and check out a book for casual reading you normally wouldn’t get to do.
  5. Play a boardgame or card games when visiting friends and family.
  6. Go to the mall and get an Auntie Anne’s pretzel. (Cinnamon sugar is so good!)
  7. Treat yourself and a friend for a meal and a seasonal craft drink at a local brewpub.
  8. Go ice skating (there are rinks in our nation’s warm regions as well).
  9. Take a bunch of naps.
  10. Watch those guilty pleasure holiday movies on ABC Family.
  11. Check out Groupon.com for awesome holiday offers.
  12. Go to a spa for a day of personal pampering.
  13. Tailgate at your local NFL city even if you don’t have tickets to the game.
  14. Call a family member or friend you haven’t spoken to in awhile.
  15. Chill out all day watching Netflix movies online or on DVD.
  16. Take your laptop to your local free WiFi spot to surf the web for fun.
  17. Hang out at the mall and people watch.
  18. Get a bunch of friends and family together to go to the movies and a snack afterwards.
  19. Check the paper for free local cultural events and opportunities to attend.
  20. Get some coloring books and crayons and color with your kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews.
  21. Share time looking at old family photos with relatives.
  22. Rent an entire season of your favorite TV show and watch all of the episodes back-to-back.
  23. Go for a longer run than normal.
  24. Take a long car ride to a favorite local place or somewhere brand new to you (explore!)
  25. Purchase and put together a holiday puzzle.
  26. Try a new flavored coffee you’ve never tried.
  27. Attend a local holiday parade.
  28. Take friends and family and get photos with Santa.
  29. Enjoy some holiday-colored-sprinkled Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
  30. Play video games all day with no regret.
  31. Attend a local sporting event.
  32. Attend a holiday murder mystery dinner.
  33. Create a 2010 memory photo book on Shutterfly or Snapfish.
  34. Start a personal private journal.
  35. Write a personal list (not work-related) of New Year’s Resoultions and share with friends and family.
  36. Make New Year’s Eve plans to attend a dinner/dance/concert/comedian and mingle with people you do not know.
  37. Plan and begin a new exercise routine.
  38. Sign up for and attend a Zumba class.
  39. Spend a day watching funny and entertaining videos on YouTube.
  40. Take a train or bus trip to the city.
  41. Invite a friend to go along with you to spend your holiday gift cards.
  42. Test drive a brand new car you would like to buy.
  43. Get a group of friends or relatives together and drive to see a large holiday light display.
  44. Try cooking a new recipe and share a meal with a friend.
  45. Bundle up with a loved-one and drink hot chocolate on the porch (if in colder climates)
  46. Attend local “First Night” festivities on New Year’s Eve with friends and family.
  47. Write a letter with pen and paper to someone special and mail it.
  48. Spend extra time with your hobby (e.g., cooking, crafting, geneaology, scrapbooking, etc.)
  49. Buy a fresh holiday flower arrangement or plant to enjoy in your home.
  50. Indulge in something you have been denying yourself (e.g., goodies & treats, personal leisure time, etc.)

What are some other ways you’ll spend enjoying your holiday?

Scott M. Helfrich is the director of upper campus housing at California University of Pennsylvania, co-owner of Student Life Consultants, and the creator of http://www.studentlifeguru.com.

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Happy Memorial Day.

May 31st, 2010 | Posted by Jennifer Blackwell in Diversity | Event Ideas - (0 Comments)

It’s easy for us to count off, probably on more than one hand, the programs we’ve been a part of this year. Those that stand out in our minds probably gave us the greatest challenge, taught us something about ourselves, allowed us to see that “A-Ha” spark of engagement, or provided us an opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in departments outside of our own. But, what programs had the greatest impact on our special or unique populations?

On this Memorial Day, one unique student population comes to mind: our veterans. Having worked at an institution that was less than 10 miles from an air force base, currently working at an institution with a significant percentage of students serving or recently transitioning back to life as a civilian, and coming from a family of proud military men and women, this group is always in the forefront of my mind.

If you were to assess your campus programs and services right now, could you explicitly list the transition services offered at your institution to men and women returning from deployment? Did you host a roundtable to hear what your veteran students need from your department? Have you done all you can to help these students transition from a battle mindset to your campus grind? Have you opened the dialogue to discuss how your institution can do more?

Like many of the veteran students on my campus, I care a lot about action and less about words. It’s easy to make services for unique populations a checkbox on an ever growing list of tasks, and a greater challenge to create a relationship with these students. Building relationships is the key. We know that human beings like to laugh, especially those who are returning from high stress situations like the battlefield, so why not extend a personal invitation to a veteran to attend the comedy show your program board is hosting? Military men and women have received many hours of leadership training; are you looking at the future facilitators of a workshop in your leadership portfolio series? If your residence hall floor is looking for a service project, how about becoming pen pals for deployed servicemen and women? Opportunities are endless and reaching out to a unique population can be incorporated into programs and activities you’re already offering.

Your campus is not alone if this unique population hasn’t been in the spotlight. Admittedly, my campus is in the beginning phases of having organized transition services for students going to or returning from deployment. However, together we face this challenge: instead of flowery words, truly honor the service of the many men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice –extend a hand and build a relationship with your veteran students.

Happy Memorial Day.

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The magic of high-impact learning experiences

April 26th, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Tetzloff in Diversity | Event Ideas | Leadership Training | University - (71 Comments)

We all want to create learning experiences that transform lives. Students spend such a short time in college (which may be even less with three-year degrees!)–what opportunities can we offer that will have a big impact? This challenge seems impossible at times, especially with tight resources. However, when we are able to pull one off, it can appear almost magical.

That’s the way I would describe the weeklong Lakota cultural experience offered recently to UW-Green Bay students. I had the pleasure of accompanying students to the Pine Ridge Reservation and Rapid City, South Dakota, to build relationships with the Lakota people, to learn about their culture, and to participate in service with them.

From our arrival to our departure, we encountered opportunities to stretch our minds, hearts, and bodies. Our guides encouraged us from the start to observe and listen, to learn and understand, to resist judgment.

In this frame of mind, we witnessed Lakota people, who, despite past and present losses, demonstrated true generosity, compassion, spirit, and hope. We heard a bit about Lakota history, defined by manipulation and worse; however, we heard a great deal more about a future defined by tribally driven education, cultural restoration, and community development.

Despite the short time we spent with various individuals, we formed strong connections. Each person we met deepened our understanding, not only about the Lakota people but also about ourselves. We observed values that some of us will build into our own lives: a broader definition of family, a spiritual connection to all things, and a reverence for our elders and their wisdom. Lakota resilience and tenacity empower us.

I almost missed this trip. It had been many years since I last crawled into a crowded van and drove for hours to get to a destination, whether that was an R.A. conference, NACURH, or some other lively and learning-filled event. Like living-in perhaps, road trips seemed a thing of the past for me. A selfish quandary rightly resolved.

This trip’s life is far from over. The group is presenting its experiences to the campus in a couple weeks, a participant is writing a paper on Wounded Knee for a history class, and next fall we will facilitate a discussion of the book Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog as part of our leadership programming. And that’s just the beginning.

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to join the students on this journey. It was a transformative experience for all of us and a program thick with learning: history, culture, white privilege, economics, and so much more. Magical.

Were you lucky enough to have a transformative experience as an undergrad? What are some recent high-impact learning experiences you’ve been a part of or observed? Who is finding success creating quality experiences with limited resources?

View the UWGB Student Life Facebook page for photos from our trip.

Lisa Tetzloff is director of student life at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

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If no one is following, who’s leading?

April 5th, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Tetzloff in Campus Issues | Event Ideas | Leadership Training - (0 Comments)

Situation #1: Last semester I asked students at a workshop to list the characteristics of good leaders and good followers. Among other things, they said that strong leaders “connect to people” and communicate well. They had a more difficult time with the word “follower.” Followers were described by some participants as timid, lazy, indifferent, and passive. One student said that a more descriptive word for “follower” would be “free-loader.” I followed up by asking what we call a person who is neither leading nor free-loading, a person who is actively contributing to a group. “Supporter?” one person offered. They struggled to come up with anything else.

Situation #2: Over the course of the fall semester our professional staff visited meetings of about a dozen of our student organizations. Our goal was simply to observe and to jot down our observations. One interesting pattern: In many groups the officers were doing most if not all of the work. We had a sense that the officers (and, in particular, the presidents) assumed that this is what leaders do–everything. The primary role of members, it seemed, was to attend meetings. Faculty have reported similar observations about students working in groups in their classes–a student (or two) takes charge and does most of the work.

These situations have led our staff to consider ways to incorporate followership development into our leadership-development initiatives. Certainly leaders cannot lead well without strong teams, and yet we don’t talk much about the skills, attitudes, and other personal traits of strong contributors. Being a great group member isn’t prestigious; he/she isn’t usually the center of attention. However, the best group members often are (or will become) the best leaders. They’re dependable, motivated, and committed. They learn to communicate well.

To get the ball rolling, this spring we (Office of Student Life staff) are hosting a discussion of the book Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Changing Leaders (Barbara Kellerman, Harvard Business Press, 2008). Interesting book! Kellerman also addresses some of her ideas about followership.

What are you observing in terms of followership on your campuses? Have you looked at followership as an element of your leadership programming? If so, what’s working (or not)? A guest speaker at our annual leadership conference told student organization leaders that it’s okay to kick out inactive members. Similarly, a faculty member shared that she encourages group project teams to “fire” slackers. What do you think about these practices? Maximizing group effectiveness–leading and following–is the goal. How can we best achieve it?

Lisa Tetzloff is director of student life at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Encouraging Campus Collaboration

October 20th, 2009 | Posted by Del Suggs in #sachat | Campus Issues | Collaborative Learning | Creativity | Event Ideas - (0 Comments)

After last week's SACHAT, I thought I'd share some campus collaboration ideas I've assembled over the past couple of years.  It’s perhaps  the most common missed opportunity on any college campus.  While campus entertainment can be fun, it can also be culturally enriching, or have an educational slant.  But even more important, programs can serve to reach across campus and bring students, faculty, and staff together.

Some connections between programming and academics are easily apparent.  When you bring in lecturers and other speakers, their primary purpose is to educate. Speakers from environmental and human rights groups aren’t there for fun– they’re there to teach your students about the world.

But there are other, not so obvious co-curricular uses for your programs.  Reach out to the faculty on your campus. There are professors you already know who are supportive of student activities. Meet with them and discuss how student activities can be supportive of their teaching, too.

Some departments will have an distinct connection.  The music department on your campus produces graduates with great musical skills.  Perhaps the students (and faculty) could benefit from a master class presented by a performer you are bringing to campus.  Maybe the performer could speak to music majors
about the “real world” of the music business, and help them to create a career plan to follow after graduation.

The comedians that you bring to campus also have relevant skills and experiences to share.  They have appeared on stages all over the country, and they may have been featured in films and on television.  Wouldn’t the students in your theater or drama department love to talk with a real live successful
comedy star?   See if you can’t set up a question and answer session with theater majors.  What valuable lessons your students could learn about life in New York City or LA!

The human mind is an amazing thing, and your campus probably has a number of psychology majors trying to understand it. Wouldn’t they learn from interacting with the hypnotist or mentalist you’ve booked on your campus?

Most humanities classes have a requirement for students to attend a number of cultural events during the term, such as a concert, a play, an art gallery, etc.  Your humanities faculty could certainly select a number of programs from your upcoming semester’s events for students to attend.  Just imagine thirty or forty (or more) students boosting your audience when an entire humanities class shows up.

Another very obvious connection is with spoken word performers.  Poets practically live for poetry, and would leap at the chance to speak to an English class.  That might jump-start a freshman’s appreciation for poetry, and produce a future Billy Collins or Sylvia Plath. 

The mass communications department on your campus may have a class in the history of the cinema. By co-sponsoring with them, you could present a film series of classic motion pictures that would serve the entire student body in addition to the film classes.  Everyone should have a chance to see Citizen Kane or The African Queen, not just film majors.

This isn't as easy as it looks.  I know you've experienced resistance (and resentment) towards your programs by faculty.  But try putting the past behind you, and reach out to your faculty again.  To quote Rick in Casablanca, it might be "the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

America’s Best Dance Crew Vs PBDC!

October 13th, 2009 | Posted by Michael Cashman in Creativity | Event Ideas - (0 Comments)

PBDC 
T-Shirt Logo                                                       


Shows like So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars
and have created a resurgence of interest in dance. Capitalizing on
this trend, our Student Association’s Activities Coordination Board decided to
tap into this energy by creating a homegrown
show that captured the trend but made it our own: Plattsburgh’s Best Dance Crew
(PBDC).

The campus was a buzz about PBDC, but even so, we were wondering how successful
the program would be. To add to our anxiety, on the night of the event the skies
opened up and panic pervaded our already tightly wound nerves as we waited with
baited breath to see what the turn-out would be. Since this was a non-ticketed
program, we had no clue as to the number of people who would be in attendance. Facebook
numbers hardly ever reflect reality, but we would have been happy with the 200
FBers indicating an interest. Additionally, we built into the show a raffle,
campus celebrity judges (people like Penny our Dining Hall card swiper) and
opportunity for the audience to vote for the overall winner. The question was:
would it be enough to get those 200 people out on a night like this?

The doors opened, our preshow started and the audience poured in. They just
kept coming, and coming. To put it into perspective, our undergraduate student
population is 5,736. When the show was over, we recorded just over 800 in
attendance. That’s roughly 14% of our student population! (Our comedy series
typically brings in between 200-300.) The result, as my students have put it,
was an Epic Show.

Twelve student leaders worked for months to pull this show together. During our
Monday Quarterback session everyone concurred this was a special program for
our campus that yielded results beyond our wildest expectations, and while not
proven scientifically, be believe that the homegrown infusion of a current
interest got folks to buy in. I encourage you try to it.

 

Some of elements we use:

  • Created
    a limited edition shirt for committee and give-aways
  • Required
    Auditions
  • Prize
    $100 Mastercard Gift Card Per person on Crew
  • Held A
    Teaser Show Day of PBDC (61syx Teknique also performed in at show)

    (hope to post a link with more photos and video – soon)

     PBDC1
    Photo with ACB Entertainment Committee and Winners of PBDC